| Show REMARKS made by pre president aident george Q cannon at cache stake conference held at logan jogan sunday afternoon novem ber let 1891 BY ARTHUR WINTER I 1 have listened with much attention and deep interest to lo the remarks which have been made in our hearing bearing by president t woodruff I 1 am glad that he has baa had the opportunity of meeting with you on this occasion and has haa felt to speak as he has baa done because I 1 believe that his remarks will have a ten laucy to remove many doubts and queries from the minds of the latter day ganta that which he be hm ha said and that which has been dune done go to sustain with great clearness the ne casity ot of the teachings which have been constantly given to the people of this church concerning the manner manne r in which they should live that they dould live so as to have a living mony within themselves regarding the teachings that they receive the counsel that is given and the course that is pursued from the beginning of the church in these days we have been under this necessity the work of our god has not been according to the ideas of men everything connected with it it may be said has cume come in contact with preconceived notions UOtI there is scarcely a move that has been made in the church that has not conflicted with ideas and the views that men enter gained concerning the course that should be pursued it was so in regard to the ordinances that were administered it was so in regard to the gathering how much that doctrine of gathering caune in conflict with mews mens ideas why cannot we w worship r god in our own land and among our own people just as well as to break up our homes separate ourselves from our kindred abandon our native places and add go to some far distant place that we have never seen and of which we know but little there to worship bod how could people believe any such thing as being necessary unless they heed so as to have the testimony f the spirit of god within them that it was requisite for them to take such a step those that lived near to god did receive that testimony and like abraham of old they broke up their old associations and went joy fully and without repining to the place which god had designated through rio his servants as 98 the place of gathering it has been almost an impossibility to keep men and women from gathering I 1 know that where this Gospel has gone and there has been a restraining influence exerted to prevent men and women from gathering they have felt as though they were being punished and they could not content themselves in the laud land where before they embraced the gospel they expected to live and die the lord not only revealed this doe doctrine trinel coming so 80 much iu contact with old habits and views but he revealed many other doctrines the object apparently being t ta make this people different from every other people upon the earth in the first bret place we gathered to ohio and then to missouri now the hopes of the latter lay salute were greatly exalted over the wor Js of the lord concerning missouri and they supposed when they went to jackson county that they were about to jay the found aaion of a stake of zion that would never be thrown down and that zion would arise and shine in her beauty andin her strength and become the joy of the whole earth they were led to expect that such would be the results from the tone of the words of the lord the lord acts with us as we act with our children to some extent he does not tell us everything I 1 suppose that if the early elders of this church could have seen all that we had to pass pan through and the length of time that would elapse before the redemption of zion was achieved they would have fainted by the wayside and have felt that human nature could not endure such trials I 1 know in my early recollections of the teachings of the elders they imagined judging from their rein marks irks that it would be only a few years before zion would be redeemed when we were coming to these valleys I 1 happened to be present when some of the twelve apostles were talking concerning the future and the recollection ot of that conversation is in my mind now and I 1 knoer that chat though they were inspired men and filled with revelation they did not conceive as we now can conceive of the events that would take place before zion would be redeemed redee nied it was necessary seemingly according to the mind of the lord that they should be encouraged with the hope that their efforts would result in complete triumph at one time it was expected that we should have a complete revolution in the manner of managing our financial affairs the lord gave revelations some of the most precious that are contained in the book of doctrine and covenants concerning the order of enoch and a was waa devised by the al mighty the most perfect of anything that can be imagined for the redemption of the inhabitants of the earth from the evils under tinder which they groaned a system of stoward stewardship shiM that whenever it is carried out will correct these evils that we witness and the riders elders were encouraged to enter upon that great promises were made to them respecting the results that should follow their acceptance of these revelations and the co counsel insel contained therein and a great many sanguine persons supposed that it woul boull I 1 be a very little while until that plan would be in full operation and the poor would be relieved for it la Is a feature in the revelations that god gave to the prophet joseph smith that frequent allusions are are made to the poor and aad they are always remembered it seemed as though the prophets mind was ex excised more in relation to the poor than almost any other subject this to seems to have been the case also anciently for one of the signs that jesus gave to the disciples of of john when they came to ask him whether he was the one that was to come or should they look for another was that the poor have the gospel preached to thern them and isaiah said the lord hath founded zion and the poor of his people shall 11 ll trust in it 1 I it seems from these passages of scripture that the lord has had bad in mind the poor of the earth who have groaned for so many ages under the oppressions oppress ions that have been heaped upon them zion has been founded among other things for the express purpose of correcting these theme oppressions oppress ions and putting an end to them this earth with its bounteous elements with its wealth of everything that to is necessary for the comfort and happiness of man was created for man it was not created for a few it was created for every son and daughter of our father in heaven who dwells upon it it was not that one should have food in abundance and another should be stinted it was not that one should have an abundance of clothing and another should have scarcely any it was not that one should have an abundance of land and another have no land that one should monopolize horses and cattle and carriages and everything of this kind and another go short of these things this was not the design of god and it is not his design this zion that god has bas founded is to bring tomassa to pass a change in this respect and these revelations plainly foreshadow this not that all will have the same sized bedstead or the same sized house or the same number of children not that all will dress in the same kind of clothing or ea the same kind of food that is not the equality designed but thai all shall have an equal claim upon the blessings and bounty of god one man using more than another because he requires more one man having more than another under his control because he is more capable of managing that than another there will be these distinctions always I 1 expect to we see them in eternity mankind will not be reduced to a dead level I 1 never expect to 10 see the time when the children of god will all have their food measured out to them or their ral raiment ment or their furniture or their horses or their cattle or other elements but each will have according to his needs deeds one man will have more children than another one man is more capable of managing property than another he will have all he can manage in righteousness but not to consume upon his lusts in those early days the latter day saints reading those precious revelations supposed that the day had dawned upon them when these things would come to pass but brit they were not prepared for them they were not sufficiently trained many of them broke their covenants and selfishness fish ness got the upper hand band of them they had not faith sufficient clent nor knowledge and experience peri ence sufficient elent to carry out these heavenly principles and today it is doubtful concerning the number in the church that would be able now to carry them out though I 1 do honestly believe that there to is a great progress in this th Is direction and that the day is not far distant when other things permitting we shall be able to carry out these doctrines and bring about a better condition of affairs on the earth in fact already among us there to is a great ohan change gein in this respect and there is a disposition among our people to help and assist t and to distribute of their means so that there shall not be suffering in our land in our recent examination before the master in chancery I 1 believe that everyone not of our church was astonished at the reports that were made and the reports were sustained by actual figures fl guree I 1 do not think they had bad ever conceived of tile the amount of help that we extend as a people to the poor in our midst there is not another people on the face of the earth that I 1 know anything about who are anything like as an charitable as liberal and as provident as our people are in supplying the wants of the needy this speaks well for us and it shows that we are approximating to that condition of feeling when it will be easier than it ever was for us to carry out these revelations of which I 1 have spoken well many were tried because those revelations concerning the order of enoch were not carried out and they thought that joseph was not a true prophet they argued in this way god knows his children and if he gives a revelation to his children he knows whether they can can carry it out or not now if joseph were a prophet P and inspired of god he would know whether the people were prepared for this and the lord would not have inspired him to give a revelation if they were not prepared and add the failure of the people to do this was laid to josephs charge as though he be had received false revelations and had at tempted to do something that ought not to have been done the facts are god reveals his truth continually to his children and he lays before them principles to obey as they are able to obey them so it has been from that day until the present there nave have been a great many revelations given to us that we have not had faith to carry out as they should be this doctrine to which allusion has been made the doctrine of celestial marriage I 1 heard one of the twelve say that if he were called upon to testify he believed he could say truthfully that the latter day saints were more pleased to hear bear the manifesto than they were to hear the revelation given on celestial marriage now I 1 could not say that and yet I 1 believe there to is a great element of truth in the statement I 1 believe that it was a very great trial to this church and I 1 believe too that there are a great many people glad that the manifesto has been givey given because they feel re 1 eved deved in their feelings and does not this account in part at least for the manifesto if this statement made by this apostle is true and I 1 am not prepared to question it what does it betoken it be tokens that though this has been a doctrine of the church for nearly fifty years there is still a large element unprepared to carry it out at least they have not obeyed it and I 1 know 1 I speak it almost with a feeling I 1 of shame there have been serious abuses of that doctrine I 1 believe that both men and women have been guilty of many thing thiam that are offensive in the sight of god I 1 have said that if there were no other reason than this it would be sufficient to my mind for the lord inspiring his servant to give that manifesto but there were other reasons for this and as a people we should be prepared by the assistance and testimony of the spirit of god for these things I 1 know myself that it was the will of god that that manifesto should be given I 1 know it was the will of god that the word should go to the latter day saints that plural mar biages should cease and that we should 1 conform to the requirements of the I 1 law of the land just think of the 1 condition the he leaders of israel were lot int here were probably nineteen beths who had not obeyed that law they would have been involved involve Li with those who had obeyed it they would have been franchised disfranchised dis the lord revealed that to president woodruff they would have been deprived of temples and the ordinances of salvation administered therein of the society of the priesthood and perhaps of their own personal property now the lord saw the condition that the leaders of the people were in can you not see how wise it was in him to come to our deliverance by giving his word I 1 have bave heard president woodruff say that he would rather go out and be shot that chato yield one hairsbreadth hairs breadth of that doctrine unless the lord should command him and he be waited and we all waited until the lord did give the command and when he gave it his spirit testified to us that it was the right thing t to be done now brethren and sister I 1 know there area are a great many who feel that this being a principle of exaltation they may b be in danger of losing their exaltation because of their inability to obey this I 1 want to say to all such that the lord judges our be hearth artL he looks at our motives there were a great many men in past times who never had bad the privilege of obeying this doctrine because the law was not given to them do you think that they are excluded from exaltation do you think that they will be deprived of celestial glory I 1 do not eternity is i s a long period and we cannot conceive of its duration the Nep hites according to all that has come down to us up were monogamists this law was not given gi ven to them as far as we have any account yet they were a great grea and Vand ft a mighty people before the lord they had prophets and mighty men man among thew then I 1 believe there is not a faithful man or woman in this church that has no had bad a testimony for himself and herself that this is right I 1 was greatly pleased at our conference cheli when this manifesto was presented to see the unanimity that prevailed there were a great many people who shed tears I 1 understand over it but the faithful felt that it was right and they voted for it now the lord will accept our offering he knows that which we have done we have striven to the utmost extent of our ability to convince this nation that this is a true principle of religion I 1 myself have testified before presidents denta of the united states before cabinet officers before judges of the supreme court before members of the united states senate and house of representatives and before commit two tees of Con congress grem that I 1 knew that doe doc fine airine was wae from god I 1 told them I 1 felt that if I 1 had bad not obeyed it I 1 would have been damned because the lord gave to me a direct command to obey that at principle he was kind enough to reveal this doctrine to me before I 1 ever beever heard that brother joseph had received a revelation of that kind he manifested to we me that that principle would be revealed to this church and be practiced by the church I 1 have testified to this and have |
